Miami is one of several ACC teams that could find themselves on the NCAA Tournament bubble, due in part to lack of quality non-conference wins.

The Hurricanes' top wins came against a 12-5 Illinois squad and a 9-6 Temple team that is 1-3 in the AAC. Simply put, Miami will need to hunt down some key victories in the ACC with its 10-5 overall record and 2-3 mark in the league.

Miami travels to play NC State (11-5 overall, 2-3 ACC) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at PNC Arena on RSN.

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Miami is perimeter heavy with junior point guard Chris Lykes, senior wing Dejan Vasiljevic and redshirt junior small forward Kameron McGusty leading the way. One of those three has led the Hurricanes in scoring every game.

Miami is fresh off of defeating Pittsburgh 66-58 on Sunday, and also has a overtime win at Clemson on Dec. 31. Two of the three ACC losses were against Louisville, and Duke blew out Miami on Jan. 4.

Rankings

In the NET rankings done by the NCAA, Miami is currently No. 83 in the country. KenPom.com has Miami at No. 88, and ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Hurricanes at No. 90.

The Hurricanes are ranked No. 26 in the old RPI formula used by the NCAA — according to RealTimeRPI.com.

Shooting

Miami is fifth in the ACC in both field-goal percentage (43.8) and three-point field-goal percentage (35.8). The Hurricanes live and die with the three guards when it comes to outside shooting, plus Vasiljevic has made all 28 of his free throw attempts. Lykes is at 83.3 percent from the line.

Vasiljevic leads the way on three-point shooting, going 41 of 98 for 41.8 percent. McGusty is right behind at 36.5 percent and Lykes at 35.3 percent.

Rebounding

Miami’s frontcourt issues have resulted in ranking dead last in the ACC at 32.9 rebounds per game and also 15th with 8.2 offensive rebounds a contest. Opponents have out-rebounded the Hurricanes by 6.1 boards per game.

Junior Sam Waardenburg arrived from New Zealand with good skill level, but was thin. He has improved his toughness on the boards and leads the way with 5.9 rebounds per game. He has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in three of his last five games (43 total). Redshirt junior center Rodney Miller is huge at 7-foot and 238 pounds and adds 5.1 rebounds a game.

Defense

Continuing the theme of ranking last in the ACC, the Hurricanes are 15th with opponents shooting 44.9 percent from the field. Miami is 14th in allowing 72.1 points a contest, but a respectable eighth with opponents shooting 32.4 percent on three-pointers.

Miller might be huge, but he is only blocking 0.7 a game and that affects the Hurricanes’ defense. Waardenburg has 19 blocks and Miller 11. Miami does have five players with at least 10 steals, led by Lykes with 19.

Depth

Miami has been thin on the interior thanks to a season-ending knee injury to redshirt sophomore post player Deng Gak, and fifth-year senior power forward Keith Stone, a graduate transfer from Florida, is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

Freshman guards Isaiah Wong and Harlond Beverly, were both ranked in the Rivals.com top 80, with Beverly at No. 42 and Wong at No. 78. Freshman post player Anthony Walker provides backup help.

Beverly is averaging 6.9 points in 17.4 minutes per game and is 9 of 27 from 3-point land. Wong is chipping in 3.1 points per game but is shooting just 33.3 percent from the field.

Miami goes as diminutive point guard Chris Lykes goes.

The 5-7, 157-pounder has been playing “large” for years, whether at Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga High or with Team Takeover traveling team. Rivals.com ranked him No. 78 overall in the class of 2017, where he had had offers from NC State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Georgetown and Villanova, among others.

Lykes played behind and with Ja’Quan Newton his freshman year, and then took over as a sophomore. He was terrific in his lone meeting against NC State last year, scoring a season-high 28 points and making three three-pointers in a 87-82 home loss Jan. 3, 2019.

He went on to average 16.2 points and 3.2 assists per game, and he provides good ball pressure defensively.

Lykes’ numbers are a little down this season, but that is because he has more help. His shooting percentages have increased across the board as a result — 44.0 percent from the field, 35.3 percent on three-pointers and 83.3 percent at the line.

Lykes is averaging 15.3 points and 2.9 assists per game, and is adding 1.3 steals a contest. He had a season-high 28 points in 28 minutes against Illinois, and then came back with 27 points and three three-pointers at Clemson. Lykes has reached double figures in every game but two.

NC State

PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Sr., 13.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 7.0 apg, 1.8 spg)

SG — 24 Devon Daniels (6-5, 205, R-Jr., 10.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.6 spg)

G — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Jr., 8.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.7 apg)

PF — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 205, Soph., 10.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.8 apg)

C — 15 Manny Bates (6-11, 230, R-Fr., 6.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.3 apg, 3.1 bpg)

Miami (Fla.)

PG — 0 Chris Lykes (5-7, 157, Jr., 15.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 spg)

SG — 1 Dejan Vasiljevic (6-3, 184, Sr., 14.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.1 apg)

SF — 23 Kameron McGusty (6-5, 192, Jr., 15.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)

PF — 21 Sam Waardenburg (6-10, 216, Jr., 6.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 bpg)

C — 14 Rodney Miller (7-0, 255, Jr., 5.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.5 apg)

1 Starting lineup combination that Miami has used this season.

6 Rivals.com four-star players on the Miami roster that are currently healthy, including all the starters but three-star Dejan Vasiljevic.

8 Healthy scholarship players for Miami with backup post players Deng Gak and Keith Stone both out with knee injuries. The last time Miami used at least 10 scholarship players was Dec. 23, 2017.

The Katy, Texas, native was ranked No. 51 overall in the country by Rivals.com, and spent his first two years at Oklahoma, where he was part of the “Trae Young Show” in 2017-18. He averaged 10.9 points per game his freshman year, and then 8.0 points a contest in less minutes the following season.

The 6-5, 192-pounder is averaging career-highs in nearly every category this season. McGusty leads the squad with 15.4 points per game, and is shooting 46 percent from the field and 36.5 percent on three-pointers.

McGusty has been a model of consistency, reaching at least 10 points in all but two games this season. He exploded for a season-high 28 points and five three-pointers in the 91-60 win over Coppin State on Dec. 21. His top ACC effort just occurred, with 19 points and three three-pointers in the 66-58 win over Pittsburgh.

McGusty also has a pair of double-doubles this season, and has hit at least three three-pointers in four contests.

NC State redshirt junior Devon Daniels is fourth on the squad with 10.9 points per game, and sometimes draws the toughest cover on Wolfpack opponents.

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